Highway track



C. T. ELDREDGE.

n HIGHWAY TRACK. A i APPLucATloN FiLED1uNE|,192i. 1,403,943, .Patented Jan.'17',1922. l zszrssum 2.

mi@ E i Y Y f I {ff/WV /Y f' f www Y INVENTOR.. f f. r. ELU/E055 ATTORNEYS.

UNITED sTArEs PATENT OFFICE.

CLYDE T. ELVDREDGE, 0F SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

HIGHWAY TRACK.

` l Application filed June 1,

To all whom! t may conce-7m Beit known that I, CLYDE T. ELDREDGE, a citizen ofthe United States, and resident yof San Francisco, county of San Francisco, and State of California, have invented 'a new and useful Highway Track, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in highway tracks and its object is to provide a steel track in concrete roads adapted to be iit into the road bed without caus` ing the concrete surrounding it to chip. Another object is to provide a track in combination with a system of reinforcing steel rods adapted to firmly combine track and road bed linto one inseparable mass and at the same time to fortify t-he concrete so that the whole will resist severestrains brought to bear on it. Another object is to provide a track grooved 'in such a manner that the tire of an automobile will notslip on the same and is practically geared to the same. Other advantages and .objects will appear as the description proceed.

Vhile in the following description I shall explain my invention with reference topconcrete road beds I do not wish to confine myself -thereto and Wish to be protected on theV general principles ratherthan the one embodiment of the same.

One embodiment of myinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of road bed having my tracks secured in the same, Figure 2 a plan View of my track and reinforcing means used in connection therewith, Figure 3 a cross section through the road bed along line 3 3 of Figure 2, Figure 4 an v enlarged end- View of a single unit of thev track showing connecting means for the adjoining unit, and Figure detail plan view of a of my track. Y

Referring to the draWin in detail it will be seen that the road be 1 is made of a. heavy layer of concrete 2 with two rails 3 embedded therein at a distance from each other corresponding to the width of the ordinary vehicle. The principal supporting part of each rail is an I-beam 4 standing on edge with its bottom extending into the concrete bed a little more than half-way, and its top not quite reaching the top of the concrete but leaving space for an additional plate G. The latter is considerably wider than the top of the I-beam and, when secured to the same 5 a fragmentary plate forming the top Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

1921. Serial No. 474,110.

by the countersunk rivets?, is about flush with the top of the concrete road bed. This plate 6 is not very heavy as compared with the thickness of the road bed. To conve-y the proper idea, without limiting myself thereby, I wish to state that I propose to use a sheet of steel about f of an inch thick fortified by longitudinal ribs 10. I find that in this manner, that is, by using a comparatively thin plate of steel to provide the margin for a heavier rail, I can eliminate the chipping of the concrete to such an extent that it does not impair the usefulness of the tracks.

To prevent skidding of rubber tires on the rails I provide small diagonal grooves 8 arranged parallel and in zig-zag lines on the surface of the plate. The grooves are not deep and are placed close enough so that the tire of an automobile will grip a new one before letting go of the last one. The cor ners of the grooves are rounded oil", as shown particularly well in Figurel 5, so that they do-not cut into the tires.

The rails which are made and shipped in pieces of certain lengths, are secured to each other by angle irons 9 fitted into the` lowerl corners of the I-beams and plates 11 fitted to the bottom of the same. The holes 15 receiving the bolts connecting them are slightly slotted to allow for expansion. The plates 6 are secured to each other by ribbed strips 12 connecting their overhanging margins. i

It will be noted that my rails do not penetrate the road bed altogether so as to cut the same into distinct units, but are embed ded in the same so that a sufficient layer of concret-e is left under the rail to properly support the same and to constitute a means for binding the road bed into one solid structure. It is assisted herein by a system of reinforcing rods 14 consisting` of longitudinal members 16 and transverse members 17 The transverse members penetrate the webs of the rails at a point somewhat below their centers and are secured to the transverse members in any desired manner. They should be of square or angular cross-section, preferably twisted so as to ally itself with the concrete as closely as possible.

It will be seen that in this manner a track may be embedded into a concrete or similar road bed which is for all practical purposes an integral part vof the same, which serves simultaneously to reinforce the road bed and Y plate Vresting on each I-beam having marginal portions extending beyond theV same and making Contact with the concrete, said marginal portions being fortified by longitudinal ribs. l

3. In a concrete road bed, a metal track comprising two I-beams embedded in the road bed on edge in related distance from each other, and a comparatively thin metal plate resting on each I-beam having marginal portions extending beyond the 'same and making contact with the concrete, said niarginal portions being fortified Yby longitudinal ribs, and said plates being grooved so as to'prevent skidding.

et. In a concrete road bed, a metal track comprising two I-beains embedded` in the road bed on edge in related distance from each other, and a comparatively thin metal plate resting on each kI-beam having margif nal portions extending beyond the saine and making contact with the concrete, said marginal portions being fortified by longitudiz nal ribs7 and said plates being provided with parallel zig-zag grooves having overlapping extremities so as to preventskidding.

5. Ina concrete road bed, a metal track l comprising two I-beams embedded in the road bed on edge in related distanceV from r each other, andV a comparatively thin metal plate resting on each I-beam having margi-V nal portions extending beyond the same and making contact with the concrete, and transverse metal members penetrating the webs of the I-beams and reinforcing the concrete. 6. In a concreteroad bed, a'metal track comprising two I-beams embedded in the i vroad bed on edge in related distance from each other, and a comparatively thin metal plate resting on each Lbeam having marginal portions extending beyond the same and making contact with the concrete, and transverse metal members penetrating the webs of the I-beamsand having longitudinal members connectingl them for reinforcing the concrete.

7. In a concrete road bed, a metal track comprising two I-beams embedded inj the Y road bed on edge in related distance from each other, anda comparatively thin metal plate resting on each '.l-beam having margi nal portions extending beyond the same and making contact with the concrete, said marginal portions being fortified byV longitudinal ribs, and transverse vmetal v members penetrating the webs of the I-beams having longitudinal members connecting them .for

reinforcing the concrete.l Y

9. In a concreteroad bed, a metaltrack comprising two I-beams embedded inthe road bed on edge in related distance from each other, and a comparatively thin metal plate'resting on each I-beani having marginal portions extending beyond the same and making contact with the concrete, said marginal ortions being fortified `by longitiidi nal .ri s, and said plates being grooved so as to prevent skidding, and transversemetal members penetrating the webs of the I- beams having longitudinal members connecting. them for reinforcing the concrete.

10. In a concrete road bed, a metal track comprising two Lbeams embedded inthe road bedon edge in related vdistance from each other, anda comparatively thin metalY plate resting oneach I-beam having marginal portions extending beyond .the same and making contact with the concrete, said marginal portions being fortified by longitudinal ribs, and said plates'being provided with parallel zig-zag grooves having overlapping extremities so 'as to prevent skidding, and transversemetal` members penetrating the webs of the I-beams having loncritiidinal members connecting them for ree Y inforcing the concrete.

oLYDE r'ELDnnnen.

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